Best Chicago Immigration Attorney: Your Pathway to U.S. Residency
The immigration process in the United States is complex and stressful. Which means you need all the help you can get. For Chicago residents, it also means you need to find the best Chicago immigration attorney. But how do you go about finding the best immigration services? What questions should you be asking? Let's take a closer look into how you can find top Chicago immigration lawyers and what qualities [...]
US Immigration Finally Unveils Details for Filing Under New Legalization Program
By: Richard Hanus, Esq. August 18, 2024 With last Friday’s release of a filing guide and an actual application, U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Citizenship and Immigration Services (DHS/CIS) looks to be ready to launch a new legalization program that will benefit more than 550,000 undocumented spouses and step children of U.S. citizen. Starting August 19, DHS/CIS will begin receiving applications under the Keeping Families Together program, a first step for [...]
The Republican’s Shiny Object Campaign Message: Let’s Deport Millions!!
By: Richard Hanus, Esq. August 1, 2024 Immigrants living in the U.S. are scared, especially our nation’s 12 million undocumented foreign nationals, the majority of whom are otherwise law abiding and hard working and have deep family ties here, including U.S. citizen spouses and children. The upcoming election and the loud, muscular calls for mass deportations from the Republican side is the reason. Back in 1986, Ronald Reagan was President [...]
8 Things the Best Immigration Law Firms Have in Common
Whether you're looking for a green card or worried about deportation, working with an immigration lawyer is vital. Along with their expertise and experience, they'll also update you on the latest immigration laws. In most cases, it's such details that make the biggest difference in your case. However, you also have to ensure that you put your hope in the best immigration law firms. In this regard, there are some [...]
US Immigration to Begin Accepting Legalization Applications for Certain Undocumented Immigrants Next Month
By: Richard Hanus, Esq. July 17, 2024 The Biden Administration announced today that starting August 19, 2024, U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Citizenship and Immigration Services (DHS/USCIS) will begin accepting legalization applications of certain undocumented spouses and stepchildren of U.S. citizens. More than 500,000 foreign national spouses and 50,000 foreign national step children who entered the US without a visa stand to benefit from this “path to citizenship” program. As a [...]
Expert Deportation Lawyer: Protect Your Rights and Stay in the US
Are you worried about deportation and looking for legal help? Each year, thousands face the threat of being removed from the United States. Having a skilled deportation lawyer can make a significant difference in these challenging times. Today we're taking a closer look into how a deportation lawyer can defend your rights, help you fight deportation, and secure your future in the US. The Role of a Deportation Lawyer Deportation [...]
Biden’s New Immigration Plan: What You Need to Know, Including 4 Big Questions and Answers
By: Richard Hanus, Esq. June 18, 2024 In the Executive Order he announced today, President Biden establishes a path to legalization and a shielding from deportation for approximately 500,000+ foreign nationals who entered the US without a visa. Applicants will need to satisfy a number of important requirements, including proving that as of June 17, 2024: they have lived in the U.S. for 10 years AND they are married to [...]
Why Did My Green Card Application Get Approved Without an Interview?
By: Richard Hanus, Esq. June 10, 2024 Foreign nationals present in the U.S. and undergoing “I-485 adjustment of status”, aka Green Card processing are increasingly seeing their applications approved without an interview and sometimes in less than 90 days. This trend even covers applicants with cases based on their marriage to a U.S. citizen. Further, in recent months, while awaiting a decision on their I-485 adjustment of status applications, foreign [...]
Tactics for Navigating Your Personal Permanent Immigration Solutions
If you're one of the over one million immigrants who relocate to the U.S. each year, chances are you've encountered a large number of obstacles that are difficult to traverse. This is a daunting process for many people, and handling it can be overwhelming. Leveraging the right immigration solutions will help you avoid issues you may have otherwise encountered and become a U.S. citizen with ease. We've written a brief [...]
Fed Indictment: Fraud Ring Staged Armed Robberies to Establish Work Permit Eligibility
By: Richard Hanus, Esq. May 22, 2024 Immigration fraud is a big business and our society just received yet another reminder of how booming a business it is. Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice handed down an indictment of an immigration fraud ring alleging its ringleaders staged armed robberies across Chicago and the Midwest so that undocumented foreign nationals – paying thousands of dollars each - could pose as [...]
Adventures in Navigating the New Filing Fee Schedule: Green Card Marriage Applicants
By: Richard Hanus, Esq. May 5, 2024 Even for me, a 30-year immigration law veteran, the new US Department of Homeland Security/Citizenship and Immigration Services (US CIS) filing fee schedule can present a menacing head ache. In so many contexts, whether for an H-1B work visa petition, or a marriage based adjustment of status (Green Card) filing, the process of selecting the proper fee can be overwhelming, especially when the US [...]
What Are the Benefits to Becoming a US Citizen?
You might be surprised to learn that nearly 1 million people became lawful residents of the US in 2022. Coming to the US has countless opportunities, such as taking advantage of the country's robust economy. However, many would argue you can only fully experience what the United States has to offer when you become a citizen. We've created a brief guide that outlines the key information you should know before [...]
The Truth About Sanctuary Cities
By: Richard Hanus, Esq. April 6, 2024 Most Americans have heard about sanctuary cities, but few really understand what they truly are. I come to this conclusion based on the way this term, along with “open borders”, is thrown around in various media outlets and by certain politicians to strategically rev up emotion among their audience. In today’s world, a 2 sentence tweet carries the same weight as a multi [...]
California Green Card Marriage Fraud Ring: A Story of Profit and Prison Sentences
By: Richard Hanus, Esq. March 14, 2023 As access to our legal immigration system continues to be plagued by obstacles and exceptionally limited options, illegal avenues to life in the U.S. continue to make for profitable business for ambitious, unscrupulous entrepreneurs. One recent example involves an enterprise with 600 immigrant customers being charged $20,000 to $35,000 each to be set up in fake marriages in order to obtain U.S. resident [...]
How to Find the Right Asylum Immigration Lawyer for Your Case
Seeking asylum in a new country is a complex and emotionally charged process. If you're seeking asylum, you might not know where to look for help. An asylum immigration lawyer is your best chance for a successful case. As an asylum seeker, having the right immigration lawyer by your side can make a world of difference. However, finding the right lawyer for your asylum case requires careful consideration and research. [...]
Update: Imperfect Voter Registration Initiatives and the Dangers Faced By Noncitizens
By: Richard Hanus, Esq. February 17, 2024 Far too often, highly imperfect voter registration processes create moments of government assisted immigration suicide, whether it leads to a denied application for lawful permanent resident status ("Green Card") or U.S. citizenship or even the commencement of removal proceedings aka deportation proceedings. The good news is that in many cases, all is not lost and a solution for non-citizens facing a seeming immigration [...]
Immigration Law in Chicago: What Is the Deportation Process?
It's estimated that forty million people in the United States were born in different countries. While some of these individuals immigrated legally, others are undocumented immigrants. Either that or their visas have expired for one reason or another. In other cases, a foreign national might immigrate legally, but engage in an act or crime that subjects them to deportation. When this happens, the U.S. government will begin the deportation process. [...]
Everyone’s Talking About H-1B Visas, Lottery Registration and US CIS Filing Fee Increases
By: Richard Hanus, Esq. January 31, 2024 It’s always around Thanksgiving when chatter starts swirling about when the next chance to obtain an H-1B work visa will happen. A couple months later employers and their prospective H-1B workers get news that the H-1B visa lottery registration is a few weeks away and that parties need to put the pieces in place to avail of the process. With this week’s announcement [...]
Immigration Lawyer in Chicago, IL: When to Hire an Attorney
It's estimated that forty-five million people in the United States have immigrated here from other countries. Uprooting your entire life to come to the United States is already challenging enough. Sadly, U.S. immigration laws make things even more complicated. Whether it's the endless forms or the confusing array of visas, there's no shortage of hurdles standing in your way. If you're dealing with potential visa or deportation problems in the [...]
3 Big Immigration Stories: Texas Seeks to Enforce US Immigration Laws, Legal Pot Seller Denied U.S. Citizenship and Massive Immigration Fee Hike Ahead
By: Richard Hanus, Esq. January 11, 2024 Federal lawsuit alleges state overreach as Texas enacts its own immigration enforcement statute Per the U.S. Constitution and U.S. Supreme Court precedent, it is well established that U.S. immigration law, from the enactment of legislation to the enforcement of such measures, is a function falling exclusively within authority of the federal government. But what happens when an individual state finds federal government immigration [...]
Importance of Having an Experienced Chicago Immigration Attorney on Your Side
Imagine moving to an entirely new country only to find yourself in legal trouble. In recent years, Chicago has served as a major hotspot for immigrants in the United States. Unfortunately, this has led to a crisis where the city can't fully accommodate everyone who arrives. Migrant arrests, convictions, and deportations have skyrocketed as a result. It's crucial to have the right Chicago immigration attorney on your side if you're [...]
My Marriage is Broken and My Green Card Application Failed – Now What?
By: Richard Hanus, Esq. December 19, 2023 Marriage to a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident is one of the more popular avenues through which foreign nationals apply for U.S. lawful permanent resident status, also known as a “Green Card”. There are a variety of reasons a foreign national’s efforts at obtaining a Green Card can fail in this context, and below is a discussion of some of the more [...]
Being LGBTQ and Seeking Protection Under U.S. Asylum Law: What are the Requirements?
By: Richard Hanus, Esq. November 27, 2023 When it comes to LGBTQ foreign nationals who are present in the United States and seeking the protection of our asylum laws, I have noticed 2 important trends in recent years. First, it appears more nations across the globe are becoming increasingly inhospitable, to say the least, to members of its LGBTQ population. Second, the United States of America continues to be among [...]
How to Comply With Business Immigration Law
The federal government estimates that there are over 11.4 million unauthorized immigrants in the United States. There's fear that many of these immigrants are not paying their taxes and are receiving a living wage illegally. As such, any and all immigrant workers are put under a magnifying glass to ensure their legality. If your business has hired immigrants, then it's important to know how to protect yourself and your employees. Business immigration [...]
R.N.’s and Green Cards; A Bipartisan Legislative Proposal May Speed Up Processing
By: Richard Hanus, Esq. November 10, 2023 What is the best way to get a Green Card so I can live and work in the U.S.? This is a question I am asked dozens of time each month, and my answer is invariably the same. 1) Fall in love and enter into a bona fide, genuine marriage with a U.S. citizen (or in some cases a lawful permanent resident) or [...]
Proposed New Rules to Impact H-1B Work Visas, Especially the Annual Lottery
By: Richard Hanus, Esq. October 22, 2023 In the coming days, U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Citizenship and Immigration Services ("DHS/CIS") will be publishing a proposed rule that will significantly impact the way U.S. companies and foreign workers vie for a chance at one of 85,000 H-1B visas made available each year. Its implementation is still up in the air, but if the rule takes effect it will likely be in [...]
What Is An O-1 Visa?
Working in the United States and fulfilling the American Dream is a wish for many people in other countries. Immigrants fill millions of jobs throughout the country, availing of amazing opportunities they can't find anywhere else. Immigrants can apply for work visas and lawful permanent resident status (green card) based on their employment in the U.S. Some may eventually be eligible to naturalize and become U.S. citizens. As far as [...]
DACA, TPS & EAD’s: The Big Immigration Stories
By: Richard Hanus, Esq. September 24, 2023 DACA Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or “DACA” came to life in 2012 as an initiative allowing certain qualifying foreign nationals arriving in the U.S. as children, an opportunity to receive Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) and otherwise be shielded from deportation. Since its implementation by way of President Obama’s Executive Order, DACA has allowed for life changing benefits for 600,00 young adults. DACA has [...]
The Case of NY’s Marie Eiffel Market and How Abused Foreign Workers Have Recourse
By: Richard Hanus, Esq. September 8, 2023 A foreign national who obtains a U.S. work visa or otherwise enters the U.S. to fill a job can be particularly vulnerable to employer abuse, especially if that worker is desperate to make the U.S. their home and has few, if any, visa options to choose from to remain here. The good news is that foreign national victims of employer abuse have rights, [...]
Immigration Attorney Chicago: A Brief Guide to Temporary Visas
According to the Center for Immigration Studies, there were 59,011 ICE removals in 2019 from both border and interior removals. Although many of these individuals were seeking permanent residency, many temporary workers have also been removed. A vast majority of these deportees lacked legal representation in order to navigate the US immigration process. Obtaining temporary visas can be a difficult and complicated component of the immigration process to the United [...]
Marriage Fraud Trouble
By: Richard Hanus, Esq. August 21, 2023 Over the years I have come to take notice that our nation’s inaccessible legal immigration system, with its limited offerings, is one of the main incubators of the green card marriage fraud business and our fake immigration document market overall. It is also one of the primary causes of our nation’s expanded undocumented population, now in the many millions and over the course [...]
What to Expect From Removal Proceedings: A Guide by a Chicago Immigration Law Firm
Reports say 185,884 removals were conducted by ICE in 2020, a 30 percent decrease from the same period in 2019. If you are an illegal immigrant living in the United States, you may find yourself facing removal proceedings. When this happens, it is essential to understand what to expect. Removal proceedings are legal procedures used by the government to expel an immigrant from the country. If you are subject to [...]
